


Nineteen Weeks

by mardemaravilla



Series: This Little Life Inside Of You [6]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Chelsea FC, Divorce, M/M, Mpreg, Mystery Character(s), Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-01 12:28:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13294884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mardemaravilla/pseuds/mardemaravilla
Summary: "What's going on?"Juan sheepishly scratches at his beard, "I thought it might be nice for you to see the children again now that you're feeling a little better. I thought maybe you and Olalla could talk too, if you wanted."





	Nineteen Weeks

One morning when he's nineteen weeks pregnant, there's a knock on the door. Fernando figures it must be one of the guys from the team stopping by to see him, so he lets Juan get the door while he assembles a bowl of yoghurt, fruit and muesli for a snack.

He's just opened a carton of blueberries when he hears feet running and the sound of little voices calling _"Papá!"_ makes him jolt. Leo and Nora fling their arms around his legs, yammering with delight and Fernando can't bend down fast enough to wrap his arms around them both.

When he looks up, Olalla and Juan are standing in the kitchen and he blinks the happy tears out of his eyes.

"What's going on?"

Juan sheepishly scratches at his beard, "I thought it might be nice for you to see the children again now that you're feeling a little better. And maybe you and Olalla could talk too, if you wanted?"

Olalla looks sad and tired, but Fernando can still see how much she loves him. He wonders what kind of inner strength Juan has to set this meeting up.

"Go," the young man insists. "I'll bring some food out for you. Go and spend time with your children."

Nora and Leo drag him into the living room before he can say anything and they quickly find their toys, begging their father to play with them. He's halfway through slaying Leo the Fire-Breathing Dragon and rescuing Princess Nora from the castle tower when she looks down from her perch on the couch and says,

"Papá, why don't you stay in the house with us anymore?"

Olalla is sitting in the armchair by the window eating the fruits and yoghurt Juan brought out and she looks on quietly when Fernando draws Leo and Nora close to him.

"Well," he starts, swallowing the lump in his throat, "I've been keeping a secret."

"A secret?! Will you tell us? Tell us!" Nora jumps up and down excitedly and Fernando stills her by pressing her and her brother's hand against his swelling stomach. 

"Papá is giving you a baby brother or sister."

Nora gasps and Leo frowns.

"I want a brother," he pouts and Fernando buries his half-laugh half-sob into the little boy's shoulder.

"So why can't you be at the house? We miss you, Papi," Nora pouts.

He tries not to let his tears overwhelm him when he says, "I know, my darling, but Mamá and I decided that it would be better if I stay here with the baby and you and Leo live in the big house with the doggies. I know that it's sad not being able to be with each other every day, and I miss you so, so much, but we'll still make times like this to see each other."

Nora twists her mouth in displeasure but she shrugs in resigned acceptance. Leo is a bit more reluctant, staring down at his stuffed dragon in silence for a few long moments, but he eventually nods and Fernando holds his children close and tries not to weep into their tiny hands.

Juan comes to the rescue soon, taking the kids into the kitchen for sandwiches and juice. Fernando carefully gets up from the floor and settles onto the couch.

"How have you been?" It's the first time Olalla has spoken to him since she arrived.

"Better," Fernando says. "I'm not throwing up as often these days, but the baby moves so much in the night time that it's difficult for me to fall asleep."

Olalla smiles softly and stirs her yoghurt, "I remember those days."

Fernando shakes his head fondly, "I don't know how you did this twice."

"It was worth it in the end," she says. "I think you'll feel the same way."

"Oly, I'm sorry. I'm still so sorry," Fernando says.

His ex-wife gets up from her chair and sits next to him on the couch. She smiles at him again and it's sad, but it's tender too and she confesses to him,

"I wasn't going to come today. I wasn't going to bring the kids. I wasn't even going to answer the phone when Juan called to set this all up, but I did. At first I wasn't sure why, but now I think I know. In the past couple of months I've thought about this a lot and I think I can say that I'm not angry with you. I keep trying to find reasons, I keep trying to rationalise everything and figure this mess out with logic, and the only thing that makes sense is that this man was able to give you something that I couldn't, and maybe that was the reason it all happened."

She frowns slightly, "You obviously didn't intend to get pregnant, but you did, and it was reckless and irresponsible, but I'm not going to be angry about an innocent child who had no say in how they came into this world. It just doesn't make sense, and it doesn't make sense to keep you from the kids you already have either. They miss you so much, and that's because you're a good dad. You always have been; a good father and a good husband."

Olalla takes a hold of Fernando's hand and sighs sadly, "More than that; you were a really great husband, but then this happened, and although I said I wasn't angry, I am so, _so_ hurt. I feel betrayed and devastated and I'm not at a place where I can forgive you for what you did as yet. There's so much fallout from this. So much has changed. All the trust that was between us just feels shattered. And now you have a new little person growing inside of you. Once the baby is born your life is going to change even more."

Olalla sniffles sadly. "As much as I still love you, Nando, as much as I will always love you, I just don't think there's a way for us to go back to how we used to be."

Fernando chews his lip to stop the sounds of his tears, but at the same time the baby brushes against his insides and he feels all his resolve crumble. Olalla holds him as he weeps into her shoulder and he hears her crying too.

"I still want you to be a big part of Nora and Leo's lives. I know I said I'd take them to Spain, but I was upset when I said that. They love you so much, Nando. I could never separate them from you. I hope you can forgive me."

Fernando nods and thanks her through his sobs. He feels so unworthy of Olalla. He feels as though the girl he met when he was sixteen turned into a queen when he wasn't looking and he's not even good enough to be in her presence anymore.

"Juan told me he's taking care of you," she says. "I know you said he's not the other father, but will you ever tell me who is?"

Fernando takes a steadying breath and squeezes the hand Olalla is still holding. He owes her this.

"He threatened to ruin me if anyone ever found out he was involved. I'll tell you, but you can never tell anyone. He'll drag me through the mud. He'll put this child through hell, Oly. Please, don't let anybody know."

Olalla looks at Fernando with concern and returns the gentle pressure he is exerting on her hand, "What? He said those things? He threatened you?! Nando, what the hell?"

"He didn't want me to keep it," Fernando confesses. "When he found out, he told me to have an abortion, but…I couldn't. I just couldn't. I had already seen the ultrasound, and I kept remembering the way I felt when it was Nora and Leo on that screen. There were these tiny people made inside of you that were so precious and perfect, and now I have one growing inside of me; just as perfect. I couldn't bear the thought of getting rid of this child, and he wasn't happy to hear that."

She furrows her pretty eyebrows and looks him directly, "Who is this man?"

When Fernando says his name it tastes like dust and ash on his tongue.

Olalla shrinks into the corner of the couch, her hand over her mouth and shock on her face.

"What? What?! He… _He's_ the other dad?? You…But he was our friend! He…I…I liked him. I _trusted_ him!"

"You can never tell, Olalla."

She seems far away for a moment, but when she looks at Fernando again she nods, determined and resolute. "I'll keep it secret, but I can never forgive him. I can't believe he threatened you! What kind of…of… _sinvergüenza_ * is he?!"

Fernando shrugs indifferently, "He has his shining reputation in international football; everybody knows him, everybody respects him. He has a picture-perfect life and family. He doesn't want me to ruin that."

He hadn't wanted Fernando to have his own perfect family ruined either. In a way, his advice to have an abortion was for the both of them. Fernando could have terminated his pregnancy and gone back to his regular life; a beautiful wife, two happy children and a football career that still managed to float despite all of his setbacks.

Olalla holds Fernando's hand again and there's another gentle brushing against his insides. Nora's chatter filters in from the kitchen, along with the sound of Juan's laughter and Leo's giggles.

He wonders if maybe this could turn out to be more perfect than what he had before.

**Author's Note:**

>  _sinvergüenza_ = shameless scoundrel, good-for-nothing, dirt bag, etc.
> 
> Isn't Olalla just perfect? She's probably my favourite character in this series.
> 
>  **Some of you may be wondering if I'm going to do a name reveal of this hidden character.** To be honest, I never planned to, and I don't _really_ want to. I like the clues here and there being a puzzle for you to solve the mystery. Plus, the secret identity thing stays true to the [original prompt](https://footballkink2.livejournal.com/9132.html?thread=2591660#t2591660) and I feel like it adds an air of sadness to the story; that Fernando is **so** ashamed and regretful about what he's done, that he can't even bear to say his name anymore. I also feel that not naming the character helps him (and us as readers) let go of the negative events a little easier.
> 
> If you disagree with that and think a name reveal is integral to the story, I'm willing to hear your thoughts and opinions! Or if you think the series is okay as it is, let me know that too! :)


End file.
